Under the Open Sky (Montana Heritage Series) (17 page)

             
“What are you smiling about?” Jenny demanded as Amanda approached. Jenny’s gaze slid past Amanda, her eyes lighting.

             
“Way to go, Mandy,” Jenny smiled as Amanda slid into a desk. Amanda glanced up to find Chris still watching her from the door. She felt heat climb into her cheeks as he sauntered her direction. She knew he wasn’t in honors English, not with his reading issues, and he was headed straight for her.

             
“Mandy right?” he asked as he slid into the desk beside hers.

             
“Right,” she smiled as she took off her jacket and hung it on the back of her chair.

             
“You’re Trent’s sister.”

             
“Yeah,” she nodded.

             
“Thought so.”

             
“Excuse me, Mr. Atkins, that’s the bell; are you scheduled to be in here?” Mrs. Yancy inquired of Chris.

             
“No, ma’am,” his acknowledgment gained laughter from the class.

             
“Then perhaps you would like to find where you do belong?”

             
“Yes, ma’am,” Chris stood. “See you around, Mandy,” Chris nodded before he left the class.

             
“Now if we can get down to business we have some reading to do and some papers to write,” Mrs. Yancy announced.

             
Amanda was still smiling as she was handed a book and instructed to write her name in the front of it. She had actually done it; she had gotten Chris Atkins attention!

__________________________________

             
Amanda was loving her junior year of school. She had always lived, largely by choice, on the fringe of the social scene at school. She was now enjoying being in the middle of it. Chris Atkins had seemed disappointed when she informed him she couldn’t date until she was sixteen, but oddly enough Amanda herself hadn’t felt too let down. She and Jenny had become all but inseparable, often at each other’s house studying together and hanging out. Most weekends found her and Jenny in a throng of other school kids at whatever gathering place had been deemed the it spot for the week. The only flaw Amanda could really find was how terribly she still missed her brother and Cade but she wrote often and they were both pretty good about writing her back in a fairly timely manner.              

             
This Friday night found her seated on her bed experimenting with nail polish colors.

             
“I still can’t believe that Cade Winston, bad ass of Big Creek High writes you on a regular basis. I figured you’d lost it when you included the supplies in his box,” Jenny admitted.

             
Amanda had received another letter and had shared with Jenny what the guys were up to.

             
“He has no family, Jenny. Well, at least none he would care to write. Why should he be the only one not sending and receiving letters?”

             
“Right, that’s the only reason you write him,” Jenny nodded with a teasing grin.

             
“Of course,” Amanda nodded; then ducked her head to hide her smile.

             
“I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas.”

             
“I know; me either,” Amanda agreed. “Which one,” she stuck her toes out for Jenny’s scrutiny.

             
“Definitely the lavender; as though anyone will see it. What does your family do for Christmas?”

             
“The traditional stuff. We give some gifts to the hands on Christmas Eve and then go to services at church. Christmas day is all about the bird and presents and family. What about you guys?”

             
“We’ve always celebrated fairly traditionally. This year Mom and Dad are talking about going out of town. I don’t think they want to be reminded of the empty place at the table and the missing presents under the tree,” Jenny’s eyes were troubled.

             
“I’m sorry, Jenny; I know you guys miss her.”

             
“Yeah, well,” Jenny stood and moved to rearrange things on Amanda’s desk.

             
“Do they blame my brother?” Amanda voiced the question that lingered at the back of her mind.

             
“Not really. I mean they were a little angry for a time, but I think they recognized themselves in your brother and Angie. Mom and Dad were high school sweethearts who had to fight to marry.”

             
“I didn’t know that.”

             
“Yeah, I think they empathized with them.”

             
“Where are your parents thinking about going for Christmas?” Amanda steered the conversation back to the holidays.

             
“Hawaii. I can’t imagine Christmas with sand,” Jenny was grinning as she sat down on the edge of the bed, her left knee pulled to her chest.

             
“Sand sounds nice,” Amanda countered.

             
“Not for Christmas.”

             
“You could come stay with us,” Amanda offered; she knew her aunt and dad would welcome her.

             
“I’m not sure Mom and Dad would go for that.”

             
“We could convince them. Tell them that they need this time alone, you know paint it up all pretty for them and then you can stay with me and admire my brother for a whole week.”

             
“Maybe,” Jenny seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. “I miss her too, you know? But not celebrating like we always did seems like we’re trying to forget her. Her room’s all closed up, things pretty much as she left them. I need my parents to find a way to remember Angie and still move on. Her door is like some ghost haunting the hallway; it’s like we all tiptoe around it.”

             
“Have you told your parents this?”

             
“No,” Jenny kept her gaze trained on her feet. She started pulling at the frayed hem of her jeans. “I don’t want to hurt them.”

             
“Maybe you need to say it. Maybe you all need to remember and face it together,” Amanda offered.

             
“Maybe,” Jenny sighed; then shifted and tucked her leg under her. “So when do your brother and Cade come home for Christmas?” Jenny shifted gears on her so suddenly that Amanda felt disoriented.

             
“Early December, they get a longer break than we do,” Amanda finally managed to focus on the question.

Twelve

             
Amanda woke with a bright feeling of expectation and frowned as she tried to remember why she was so excited. Her brother and Cade were coming home today! Amanda tossed aside her covers, leapt from her bed and started grabbing and gathering her things for a shower. She wasn’t going to be worth anything at school today, she realized as she started her water running. It wasn’t even six-thirty and she was already about to jump out of her skin. By the time she had dressed and gathered her books for the day she was feeling downright giddy. A glance out the window only made her smile widen. It had snowed overnight! The distant peaks were capped and the yard dusted with what looked to be an inch or two. Beautiful!

             
Amanda bounded down the stairs for breakfast and greeted her dad and Naomi with a big kiss.

             
“Isn’t it a beautiful morning?” she asked them as slid into her seat where her breakfast already waited.

             
“You’re chipper this morning,” Naomi noted with amusement.

             
“Of course I am! Trent and Cade will be home this afternoon. What time are they supposed to be here, Daddy?”

             
“Around supper.”

             
“Today is going to drag,” she predicted. Her father glanced up from his farm journal and offered her a smile. Amanda smiled in return. When Jenny arrived, Amanda hurried out, ready to start the day so it could be over.

             
“Why are you so happy?” Jenny demanded.

             
“Trent and Cade will be home tonight!”

             
“I thought it would be tomorrow?”

             
“Nope; they called and said they were leaving right after class,” Amanda shared.

              Amanda must have looked at the clock every five minutes if she looked at it once. By the time school came to an end, her nerves were frayed and she was tapping her foot impatiently all the way home. She thanked Jenny for the ride, turned down her offer to go out that evening, and bounded into the house expectantly.

             
“Any word?” she asked Naomi as soon as she dropped her books onto the hallway entry table.

             
“They were delayed leaving but should be here sometime later tonight,” Naomi shared.

             
“Need any help? If I sit around here waiting with nothing to do I am going to jump out of my skin,” she shared.

             
“You can help with dinner,” Naomi offered.

             
“Thanks,” Amanda grinned.

             
She and Naomi worked companionably, Naomi asking about the details of Amanda’s day and Amanda sharing. To her vast relief, staying busy had helped. Dinner was on the table, the afternoon largely gone before she had even realized it had happened. By the time the table was cleared Amanda was peeking out the window every few minutes.

             
“It’s snowing again,” she announced after one such peak outside.

             
“They both know how to drive in it,” her father reminded her.

             
“I know,” she responded and pulled her shoes off to curl up in the corner of the couch. She tried watching the Friday night comedy on TV to no avail; she was too distracted! By the time the news was coming on Amanda was jumping at every noise and bump from outside. The sound of tires crunching on gravel sent Amanda to her feet.

             
“They’re here!” she announced, her shoes completely forgotten as she yanked the front door open and dashed into the yard.

             
“Trent!” Amanda threw her arms around him as he stepped from his truck.

             
“Hey, pest,” her brother lifted her off her feet in a big hug. “Are you barefoot?” he asked a moment later as he set her back on the ground.

             
“I couldn’t wait to see you!” she grinned.

             
“Do I get a hug?” Cade teased. Amanda rushed into his arms; Cade spun her in a circle.

             
“It’s good to see you, Manny.”

             
“I missed you two; it’s boring around here without you guys,” she informed them.

             
“Get out of the snow in your bare feet!” Trent ordered her.

             
Cade glanced down at her feet and smiled.

             
“Come on,” he scooped her up and carried her to the porch and set on the top step. “You’re going to end up with frostbite.”

             
“You guys are here!” Amanda, her hands clasped and eyes shining, bounced up and down in excitement. “Do you know how long this day has been?”

             
“It has been a long day,” Trent agreed as he neared the steps, a duffle bag thrown over his shoulder. Amanda grabbed both men by the hand and dragged them toward the door. She couldn’t understand why her dad wasn’t already out here. It wasn’t unusual for Naomi to hang back, her pleasure quiet and understated. Amanda figured her Dad, however, would be impatient to see his son. They spilled into the hall and Amanda watched as her dad stepped into the hall almost cautiously. Amanda sobered. How could she have forgotten how tense her father and brother had been with each other before they left?

             
“Hi, Son,” Sterling greeted almost soberly.              

             
Amanda watched her brother survey their father a moment before a hesitant smile tugged at his lips.

             
“Hi, Dad.”

             
Her heart swelled when the two hugged; she had prayed for this moment since the fighting had started. She wasn’t even aware that she was still clutching Cade’s hand until she felt him squeeze it lightly as though he had read her thoughts concerning her dad and brother. Amanda, feeling heat climb into her cheeks, released his hand but returned the smile he offered her.